Someone To Call My Lover
by sundayxmorningx
Summary: Alli drags Clare into speed dating. She is bored out of her mind until someone catches her interest. The same someone who caught her eye during high school, Eli. Will their reunion lead to something more or will they once again just be friends?
1. Worth My Time

**A/N: I don't own Degrassi.  
I got the title from Janet Jackson's song, **_**Someone To Call My Lover**_**. I was listening to the lyrics and my mind wandered off and I came up with this! Haha.  
Quick Mention: Eli and Clare never went out, they were always just friends.**

* * *

"Speed dating?" Clare asked out loud, "Seriously?"

"Oh come on, Clare," Alli hung on to her best friend's arm, "It'll be a fun experience."

She rolled her eyes, "It just sounds so… weird, though."

"Look, if it doesn't work out, we can go to the coffee shop and laugh about," the brunette pouted.

Clare blinked a few times and sighed, "Fine. Only for you."

Alli squealed, "You're the best!"

At 7 in the evening, Clare and Alli were ready to go. They graduated the University of Toronto and continued to live in an apartment near the campus. Alli had broken up with Drew a few months ago and she wanted nothing more than to forget about him. They tried to make it work but he continued to remain unfaithful. She decided to stay single after the break up and only decided to start dating recently. Clare, on the other hand, wasn't in any rush to start dating again. She was content with being single after being a in a long term relationship with Nick Weston. They met during freshman year and broke up in her junior year. It was an amicable decision since he was graduating and going back home to Montreal.

Alli skipped excitedly to the door, causing Clare to giggle. They both wore dresses since it was a nice evening outside; Clare kept it simple with a yellow dress, while Alli wore a light pink dress. They took a cab to the restaurant where the speed dating was taking place. Alli had no problem going inside and practically had to drag Clare with her. They took a seat and waited for the process to begin. Each pair had five minutes to talk to one another.

She had only been at her table for thirty minutes and Clare was already getting restless. She turned her head and saw that Alli was having the time of her life. She was happy that her best friend was enjoying and told herself to just suck it up for another thirty minutes. The bell rang and Clare couldn't be any happier for the switch. The guy – whose name Clare couldn't even remember – smiled shyly at her as he left the table. Clare closed her eyes and let out a long breath.

"Having a fun time, I see."

Clare's eyes were still closed but she could sense the sarcasm. She chuckled, "Oh, the best."

She opened her eyes and was welcomed by a familiar pair of green eyes.

"Clare?"

"Eli?"

The former English partners stared at each other, trying to comprehend how they could meet somewhere so random.

Eli spoke first, "Speed dating?"

"Alli dragged me here," she rolled her eyes and pointed to her best friend.

He recognized the petite girl, "I can see she's hitting it off with my roommate."

Clare turned around to see Alli talking to a slightly muscular, dirty blond guy. She didn't know much about him but Alli seemed happy. Clare turned her attention back to Eli.

"Did you get dragged here too?" she asked.

"Yep," he said, "And just like you, I'm having the time of my life."

She laughed, "I can tell."

The bell rang, meaning it was time to switch partners. The pair looked at each other with sad eyes since neither of them wanted to leave. Suddenly, Clare came up with an idea. As everyone was up and moving to their new spots, she looked around and tried to sneak away. Eli looked at her with curiosity.

"Well," she raised an eyebrow, "You coming?"

Eli smirked at the familiar words and followed her out of the restaurant.

An hour later, Clare and Eli strolled along the sidewalk with a cup of ice cream in their hands. She had vanilla and he opted for rocky road. They spent their time catching up on college, family, and friends.

He looked at her cup, "Vanilla? Quite the daredevil, Edwards."

"I snuck us out of that speed dating, didn't I?" she replied.

"Very true," he chuckled, "Thank you."

"Are you still pursuing a career in writing?" she remembered.

"Yeah," he answered, "I'm working on a book right now."

"What is it about?" Clare asked.

"Let's just say Clara Edwin makes an appearance…" Eli smirked.

She narrowed her eyes at him, "Are you serious?"

He nodded, smirk still intact, "My roommate, Jeremy, thinks it's golden."

"Oh gosh…" she took another bite out of her ice cream.

"What have you been up to?" he asked.

"I'm going to be a counselor at Degrassi, actually," she answered, "I just spoke to Principal Simpson and I got the job."

"Congratulations," he said, "You always were good at helping people out."

Clare looked up at Eli. He had a look of sincerity in his eyes and knew that he was talking about his issue with hoarding. She remembered helping him clean out his room and going to some of his therapy sessions. Their partnership in English led to a great friendship, which slowly disappeared when they got to college.

"It was great seeing you again, Eli," her voice was soft.

"You too," he kept his voice low.

Clare's phone started to ring, causing them to break their gaze. She looked and saw that it was a text message from Alli, asking where she was.

She sighed, "I should get going."

He nodded, "Maybe we could catch up again?"

"My number is still the same," she hinted, earning a smirk from him.

* * *

**A/N: So what do you think? Good? Bad? Please review and let me know =) I love hearing from my readers!**


	2. Here With You

**A/N: Wow! Thank you so much for the reviews! I'm glad you like this story! I'm trying to make each chapter interesting… lol. Let me know if I am!**

* * *

Clare walked over to Alli with two cups of hot chocolate in her hands. She felt bad for ditching her at the restaurant a few days back, but Alli didn't seem to mind. It turns out her and Jeremy clicked so well that they had set up a date for tomorrow night. She took a seat on the couch.

"So… you and Jeremy?" Clare smiled.

Alli returned the smile, "He's great. He wants to be a doctor, which is a plus for my parents. He was in a serious relationship a while back but broke up with her because she cheated. He seemed so sweet and respectful during those five minutes… I wish we had a longer time to talk."

"At least you got his number," she reminded her, "You haven't put your phone down since."

The brunette blushed at her words. She took a sip of the hot chocolate, "I can see you and Eli reconnected too."

"Yeah, it was a surprise seeing him again," she said, "A good surprise."

"Do you two still get along like the good old days?" Alli joked.

Clare slightly smiled, "I guess so."

"Good," she took another sip of the hot chocolate, "Because he's your date tomorrow."

Clare almost spit out her hot chocolate, "What?"

* * *

Friday night had arrived and Clare and Alli waited for the guys to arrive. They had decided to watch a movie and get some food afterward. Alli liked the idea since it kept things light yet romantic. Clare nervously played with her hands.

Alli laughed, "Are you nervous?"

"No," she answered quickly, "I'm just… waiting for them."

"Sure," the brunette smiled, "This totally doesn't have anything to do with the crush you had on Eli back in high school."

Clare narrowed her eyes, "Key word there being, 'had.' It was a small crush and it disappeared, it happens. It's just kind of weird that I'm going on a date with him after just seeing him."

"Well, you already hung out with him alone that night so it can't be that weird," Alli reasoned.

Before Clare could argue any further, the doorbell rang. Alli answered, her black heels clicking against the floor, while her purple dress swayed. She was greeted by Jeremy, who was wearing a blue button up and jeans. Eli followed after, wearing a gray button up and black jeans. Clare stood up and brushed her dark green dress for any wrinkles. She made her way over to the guys.

"You look nice, Clare," Eli smiled.

She tried to control her blush, "So do you."

The four made their way to the theaters with Jeremy driving. From the car ride to the walk inside the theatres, Alli and Jeremy were so absorbed in one another. Clare smiled, hoping Alli had finally found someone who would be good to her. Eli remained silent and started eating the popcorn. They took their seats and waited for the movie to start. Alli and Jeremy were already cuddling, while Clare and Eli sat awkwardly together. Their hands brushed when getting popcorn but they ignored it. Clare kept her focus on the movie, trying to control the heat in her cheeks while Eli let out a small smile.

When the movie was over, the four exited the theater and looked for a place to eat. Jeremy kept his arm around Alli, who continued to smile. While Alli looked for her lip gloss, Jeremy shot a look at Eli. His roommate stifled a laugh and nodded.

"You know, I'm actually not that hungry," Eli pat his stomach, "I might just go for a small walk. If that's ok with you, Jeremy."

"That sounds fine," Jeremy nodded.

Alli gave Clare a pleading look. She understood.

"I'll come with you," she said to Eli.

"Great," Jeremy spoke up, "We'll meet back in an hour and a half?"

Before they could even answer, Alli had already pulled Jeremy to a diner nearby. Clare let out a laugh.

"And then there were two," Eli commented, "Up for some more ice cream?"

"Ok," she replied happily. She followed him to an ice cream store.

Once they ordered, they took a seat outside and ate in peace. A small band started playing a few feet away. People gathered to listen to the music, others danced along. Clare watched with a smile as everyone danced with their significant others. Eli followed her eyes to the crowd that had gathered. He wasn't one for dancing, but he could see the look in Clare's eyes. He took their empty cups to the trash and extended his hand.

"Did you want to dance?"

She hesitated but lightly placed her hand on his. He led her closer to the music and stepped in front of her. Eli put his hands on her hips, while Clare's hands rested on his chest. They swayed to the music. She was reminded of a memory and laughed to herself.

He noticed, "What's so funny?"

She shook her head, "Nothing. It's just that… the last time I did this, I was with… my ex-boyfriend."

"Did you want to stop?" Eli hesitated.

"No, not at all," Clare answered.

They continued to dance, letting the music fill the silence.

This time, Eli spoke up first, "What happened with you and this ex of yours? If you don't mind me asking."

Clare shrugged, signifying that it was ok for him to ask, "We dated for two years and broke up when he moved back to Montreal. It was mutual break up. A lot better than what happened with K.C."

He laughed, "Ahh, who can forget that charmer."

"What about you?" she gave him a pat, "Were all of the girls fighting for your attention in college?"

"Hardly," he rolled his eyes, "I dated but nothing was ever serious."

"Still waiting for the one who could keep up with you?" she teased.

He looked straight into her eyes, "You could say that."

* * *

**A/N: And I'm gonna leave it there. Haha. I know, it's an odd place to end it but I really don't know how else I could end it. Forgive me? Please review, still? ^_^**


	3. An Ex Returns

**A/N: I can't say this enough – thank you so much for your reviews. I always doubt myself while writing this story, but your reviews have been great!**

* * *

Clare and Alli walked in to the local coffee shop on Monday morning – coffee was a bad habit they picked up during college and had yet to give it up. They waited patiently to order their drinks as Alli informed her of the aftermath of her movie date. Clare went back home to hang out with Darcy over the weekend so the best friends were catching up today.

"Jeremy is amazing," Alli sighed, "He paid for the movie and at the diner, he made me laugh the whole night, we talked about everything… It felt so nice going out with him."

Clare gave her a small hug, "You're a great girl, Alli, who only deserves the best. I've been telling you that since the day we met."

The brunette continued to smile as she ordered their drinks. It only took them a couple of minutes to make their drinks. They exited the coffee shop and took a seat outside.

"So how was your night with Eli?" Alli asked.

"It was nice," she answered, "We got some ice cream and when this band started playing, he asked me to dance."

"Aww, Clare…" her best friend cooed, "It's just like his Senior Prom."

Clare reminisced on the memory – Mrs. Goldsworthy refused to let Eli skip out on his Senior Prom so in order to make her happy, he asked Clare to go with him since he didn't want to ask a random girl. He asked her last minute when they were grabbing some dessert at The Dot. They went to the dance for an hour and a half before they got bored and called up Adam to hang out. They spent the rest of the night at Clare's house (whose parents were away) watching movies, with Drew and Alli later joining them.

She shrugged, "I guess it is kind of similar."

"So does that mean something might be starting between you two?" Alli's eyes widened.

"I don't know about that," Clare laughed, "I'm just glad he's back in my life at all."

"He could be _more_ in your life, if you know what I mean," her best friend winked.

She shook her head, "Only you could make that sound so wrong, Alli."

Alli teased, "Oh you love it."

Clare shook her head once again as the pair got up to make their way to Alli's job. She had gotten the position of an assistant to a fashion magazine editor, thanks to a hook up from Fiona Coyne. The three kept in touch here and there, but the older woman was always busy traveling between Toronto and New York City, so catching up was hard. Since the rest of her day was free, Clare decided to keep her best friend company. The car ride there was short as they walked through the doors. They reached the elevator and were greeted by a familiar face.

"Nick?" Clare tried to keep her voice down.

The guy stared, "Clare?"

"What are you doing here?" she asked.

He let out a cough, "Oh, I was just meeting with a friend. Uh, how about you?"

She stammered, "I'm just… I'm keeping Alli company. She works here and had to get something from her boss."

Alli waved awkwardly. Nick gave her a small smile.

"How about I just go while you two catch up?" Alli suggested.

Clare was about to protest but was stopped by Nick, "Um, if that's ok with you and Clare, I'd like that."

Since there was no way of backing out, Clare nodded and followed her ex-boyfriend outside of the building. They both grabbed a bagel and sat by a fountain. They were both nervous despite how much they tried to hide it. Clare took a bite of her bagel and spoke first.

"How have you been, Nick?" she asked gently.

"I'm good," he looked at her, "I'm working with my father at Weston and Sawyer and I'm really happy there."

Clare smiled. Nick always had a passion for finding hidden authors and trying to get them published. His father owned a famous publishing company and Nick fit right in.

"How are you?" he then asked.

"I'm doing well, too," she answered, "I'm a counselor at Degrassi now."

"So you got the job?" Nick remembered, "I knew you could do it."

"Thanks," she said.

The former couple sat awkwardly, eating their bagels. Clare wasn't sure why it was so awkward meeting up with him – they ended things amicably. As the relationship progressed, their relationship was starting to fizzle away. They still cared about each other, but not in the way lovers should. Nick's graduation was the best opportunity for them to break up. They even laughed about the break up the next day. She just figured that it was natural to feel awkward around an ex-boyfriend.

"I'm engaged!"

Clare was startled by Nick's outburst. She turned her attention back to him. He went back to eating his bagel, pretending that it never happened. Clare started to laugh. Nick stared at her oddly for a few seconds before he found himself joining her. They laughed for minutes as people gave them dirty looks.

Clare's laugh subsided, "I can see someone is happy about their engagement."

Nick chuckled, "I didn't mean for it to come out like that."

"Like you didn't mean to spoil my surprise birthday?" she teased.

"I guess I just can't keep good news to myself," he said.

"Well, whoever this girl is," she put a hand over his, "She is very lucky to have you as a fiancée."

Nick gave her hand a squeeze, "Thank you. That's why I'm here, actually. Emily, that's her name, needs a new wedding dress because something went wrong with her old one. I know a few people at Alli's company and I thought I'd help."

"Aww," she remembered how sweet he was, "If you need any more help, I'm sure Alli would be willing to suggest a few things. She goes nuts over wedding planning."

He laughed, "I might just take you up on that offer."

With those words, they made their way back to their first destination. Alli was just exiting the building and bumped into them. Nick told her what had happened and she was beyond exited to help out. They set up another day where they could all, including Emily, meet. He gave them one last wave and walked to his car.

"And I thought he wanted you back," Alli whispered.

"Don't get me wrong, Nick is great," Clare replied, "But we don't need a K.C. repeat."

* * *

**A/N: How was that? I thought about having Nick fight for Clare's love, but that has been done before. I'm trying to mix it up. However, even though Clare knows that Nick is engaged, that doesn't mean Eli knows. What happens if he sees these two hanging out? Hm… Please review! =D**


	4. Where We Stand

**A/N: So… I saw the new Degrassi promo… I really don't know what to say. I'm scared, excited, nervous, jittery, etc. I just want to know what happens. How about all of you?  
Anyway, back to this story.**

* * *

Clare snuggled into the couch, reading a book. She had the apartment to herself since Alli decided to spend time with her family this weekend. Their fridge was slightly empty so she figured she would go out and get lunch later. Time was going by faster than she expected and an hour later, she heard her phone ring. She couldn't help but smile when she saw Eli's name appear.

"Hi," she answered.

"Hey Clare," Eli replied, "Do you have anything planned for today?"

She looked down at her book, "No, I was probably just going to read."

He laughed, "Some things never change."

Clare broke out into another smile.

"Do you think you would be able to tear yourself away from that book for a bit?" he asked, "Maybe grab some lunch with me?"

She only smiled further, "I think I can fit you in my schedule."

"Good," Eli replied, "I'll pick you up in an hour."

Sure enough, Eli was at Clare's apartment in an hour. They drove to a nearby restaurant and took a seat. They sat outside and waited to order their food. There was a moment of awkward silence as they watched all the people pass by. Eli suddenly smirked.

"Do you remember when we used to go to the park to people watch?" he asked.

Clare looked at him, "Of course. We came up with some crazy stories."

Eli saw a man walk by, talking on his phone, "I think this guy is running late for a business meeting."

"And he is talking to who his boss, who is freaking out," she added.

"Because they are about to make a deal of a lifetime," he continued.

She continued to watch him, "He's worried about the deal but he's also worried about his girlfriend."

"Who thinks he works too much," Eli said, "Which they got into a fight about last night."

"And once this meeting is over, he is going to buy her a roses to make it up to her," Clare concluded.

They watched as the man found a taxi and drove off to his destination. Eli and Clare looked at each other and laughed. People watching was something they did after they finished their English assignments. It started off as an exercise routine to inspire Clare and her writing. It paid off when Ms. Dawes gave her an 'A' in the class and the two of them continued it, even after the school year was over.

"Wow, I haven't done that in a long time," she reminisced.

Eli's laughter died down, "It has been great hanging out with you the past few weeks."

"You too," she said.

He looked at Clare, "I'm glad we could be friends again. We were great together… as friends."

The words seemed to get to her more than it should have. Clare laughed awkwardly, "Yep, friends."

The rest of the lunch was filled with silence.

* * *

"Are you kidding me?" Adam almost yelled.

Eli stared at him blankly, "What?"

"You and Clare tiptoed around each other for years with nothing ever happening," he groaned, "Now that you two meet again, you tell her you just want to be friends?"

"Well, I do want to be friends with her again…" the older boy smirked.

His best friend just glared at him. Jeremy watched as the two went back and forth.

"So why didn't you ask her out?" Jeremy asked.

Adam answered first, "Because Eli likes to be tortured slowly."

Eli just rolled his eyes, "Clare and I are friends. We have always been friends and we will continue to be friends. I loved hanging out with her then and I love hanging out with her now."

"You're in denial," Adam mumbled.

He sighed, "Ok. Sure, I had a crush on her before and seeing her again may have brought it back, but you know I don't have the best of luck with relationships. I'm a mess when it comes to those."

"And the only girl who could handle you is Clare," the younger boy said.

"How about she and I just stay friends for now," Eli proposed, "And see what happens in a bit."

Adam narrowed his eyes, "Fine, but don't miss your chance again."

Just then, a familiar head of hair caught Jeremy's attention. He kept his eye on the girl and realized who she was when she turned around. The girl turned around and smiled when a guy made his way over to her. They exchanged in a long hug.

"Uh, guys," Jeremy spoke up, "Is that Clare?"

The boys immediately turned their attention to where Jeremy was looking and watched the scene unfold in front of them. Clare continued to smile even after the mystery guy let her go. He also had a smile on his face – he had short, dark brown hair, a slightly muscular built, and seemed slightly shy to be around Clare. Eli narrowed his eyes at the pair. The mystery guy led her into the coffee shop where they were lost in the crowd. It shouldn't have, but Eli felt a slight pang of jealousy and sadness hit him.

* * *

**A/N: I'm sorry if that last paragraph was a bit confusing. The mystery guy that Clare was with is Nick. They were just catching up again, completely innocent. However, Eli doesn't know that. So how is he going to react? Please review and you shall see! =D**


	5. Double Date Fiasco

**A/N: Oh… my… gosh… I am just BLOWN AWAY by all of your reviews/alerts/faves! You have brought the biggest smile to my face and I can only hope that this story continues to catch your interest.  
Thank you, to each and every single one of you! **

* * *

"Clare…"

She looked up from her book to see Alli standing there with a huge smile on her face.

"Oh no…" she could sense that the girl wanted something.

"My gorgeous, absolutely adorable, incredibly smart best friend," Alli continued.

"Oh no…" Clare said again.

Alli made circles on the table, "Do you… have any plans tonight?"

Clare narrowed her eyes, "Why?"

Her best friend looked down, "Because you might be going to dinner with me and Jeremy… and Eli."

"What?" she was having déjà vu all over again.

"I'm sorry! I panicked!" Alli walked up to Clare.

She groaned, "Why can't you two just go on a date alone?"

"Because we're taking things easy," the brunette explained, "The third date will just be me and Jeremy, ok? Promise."

Clare stared at Alli for a few more seconds. She clutched her hands in front of her, smiling and blinking repeatedly. Clare sighed and put her book down.

"Fine," she got up, "But you better keep your promise about the third date!"

* * *

A few hours later, Alli knocked on Clare's door. Before opening it, she looked in the mirror one last time. She wore a blue headband which matched her black and maroon dress. She wore heels but kept it at two inches. She opened the door to see Alli standing there with her hair tied to one side, allowing most of the attention on her black and white dress. They were eye level thanks to her heels.

"Ready to go?" Alli asked.

"Yeah, sure," Clare gave her a small smile.

Alli looked at her phone and walked over to their door. She opened it and Jeremy was the first one to walk in. He gave Alli a hug and waved over to Clare, who waved back. Eli walked in and gave Clare a nod. She was a bit confused by the gesture but brushed it off.

"Hey," she walked up to him, "Sorry we got stuck together again."

"Yeah, because I'm sure you would have preferred to go with someone else," Eli simply replied.

Clare was a bit taken aback by the statement. She was joking with her comment but he didn't seem to take it that way. She kept quiet the whole way there, while Eli looked out the window. Alli and Jeremy took notice of the behavior and tried their best to ease the tension. It was kind of tough when Eli barely responded and Clare only responded half-heartedly. The couple looked at each other apologetically.

When they got to the restaurant, Jeremy and Eli went to the table as Clare and Alli went to the bathroom.

"Is everything ok? You and Eli barely spoke in the car," Alli observed.

Clare shrugged, "I really don't know. I thought things were fine between us and when I saw him, he just gave me attitude."

Alli sighed, she knew Clare was doing her best so she didn't push the subject further. They walked over to the table.

Meanwhile, before the girls arrived, Jeremy looked over at Eli, "Are you still upset over the coffee shop thing?"

"No," Eli answered quickly, "Clare is free to do whatever she wants. We're only friends."

"Then why are you giving her the cold shoulder?" the older boy asked.

He shrugged, "I don't know what you're talking about."

Jeremy saw the girls approaching them, "You're the one who told her you just wanted to be friends and now you're mad at her for seeing another guy? For an hour or so, could you please put those negative feelings aside and have fun? I really like Alli and I don't want this to be any more awkward than it needs to be."

Eli mumbled, "Sure man. Sorry."

"This place is great," Alli smiled at Jeremy, "The complimentary wine is a plus."

Jeremy smiled, "I'm glad you like it. I'll keep that in mind for future dates."

The brunette blushed at the comment. Clare saw her expression and felt happy for her best friend. She then looked at Eli, who looked a bit sad.

"Are you ok?" she asked him.

"Yeah, don't worry about me," he answered.

"Well, I would be a bad date if I didn't worry about you," Clare teased.

"Do you say that to all of your dates?" Eli scoffed.

"Nope," she said, "Just the ones I really like."

"Like the guy at the coffee shop," he mumbled.

Clare only caught parts of what he said, "Excuse me?"

"Nothing," Eli quickly answered.

Jeremy gave Eli a glare, causing the conversation to end. Alli looked at Clare apologetically. They ate the appetizers in silence. Alli and Jeremy held most of the conversation, while the other two spoke up here and there. The rest of the dinner went by smoothly – Eli tried to make a few smartass remarks but was stopped by Jeremy, Clare kept her comments to a minimum, Alli tried to lighten the mood, along with Jeremy.

After dinner, the four went back to the guy's place. Jeremy popped in a movie and snuggled up to Alli on the smaller couch. Eli and Clare sat on the empty couch. Since they were watching a movie, not many words could be exchanged by them. Until a coffee shop scene showed up.

"Oh look, girl meets guy at coffee shop," Eli mentioned, "I'm sure that happens often."

Clare looked at Eli oddly, "What's with you and coffee shops?"

"Nothing," he said, "I don't have anything against coffee shops."

She crossed her arms and focused on the movie again.

"And I can see you don't either," he mumbled.

Clare quickly narrowed her eyes at him, "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Guys," Alli interrupted, "Movie."

"Sorry…" she whispered.

"Oh look, now she's meeting another guy at a bakery," Eli pointed to the movie, "She's just stringing them along."

Clare was getting irritated, "How is she stringing them along? They're all just friends."

He scoffed, "She sure is getting friendly with a lot of people."

"What's with all the comments?" she snapped at him.

"I've always commented during movies," he rolled his eyes, "Don't you remember?"

"Yeah, I do," she replied, "And you know what else happens in movies? People walk out."

Clare stood up and slammed the door behind her. Alli got up and followed her out.

"Nice," Jeremy said with a straight face.

Eli instantly felt horrible for what happened. He grabbed his jacket and made his way to his room.

Outside of the apartment, Alli had caught up with Clare.

"What just happened?" she asked.

"I don't know," her best friend answered, "We were just sitting there enjoying the movie until Eli and his smart ass remarks got in the way."

Alli knew Clare didn't want to be anywhere near the apartment, "I'm going back home with you."

Clare stopped in her tracks, "No. Stay with Jeremy."

"But Clare –"

"Alli," she interrupted, "You're my best friend and I love you, but if you don't go back in there, I'm going to be mad."

Alli noticed that Clare was smiling.

"You two make each other happy and he's a great guy," Clare continued, "Don't let this ruin your date night."

The brunette hugged her best friend, "Fine, but I'm staying with you until the taxi comes. And you better text me when you get home."

She laughed, "Of course."

* * *

**A/N: Wow, this was longer than I expected. I'm happy with it, though. Please review! You have all seriously been amazing… I can't emphasize that enough! =)**


	6. Passive Aggressive Avoidance

**A/N: My best friend got me The Lion King Collector DVD Set. I'm watching it right now and I'm so freakin' excited. I probably sound really weird, huh? -.-' I love this movie.**

**Ok, so a warning – this chapter is a bit of a filler. I'm sorry about that. I just needed Clare and Eli to spend some time apart from one another after the dinner incident.**

* * *

The sun taunted Eli as it peaked through his room. He grudgingly got out of bed, quickly looking at his clock. It was 11am on a Monday. It had been one week and two days since the movie incident. A week and two days since he and Clare last spoke. He planned on calling her the next day, but he chickened out. Eli tried to convince himself that she never bothered to call, so she was at fault as well, but he knew that was a lie.

"Hey mopey," Jeremy greeted.

Eli just took a seat and hit his head on kitchen table.

"I'm guessing you haven't talked to Clare yet?" he asked.

"No," his black hair falling over the table.

"You should talk to her," Jeremy said.

Eli looked up, "I was just planning on avoiding her for the rest of my life."

His roommate could sense the sarcasm, "Well that'll be weird considering I'm dating her best friend."

Eli put his head back down on the table.

"Just talk to her and explain what happened," the older boy said.

"It's going to make me sound like an idiot," Eli mumbled.

Jeremy shrugged, "At least it will be the truth. She'll appreciate that."

The younger boy groaned in response, "I know I overreacted but I couldn't help it. It's just kind of embarrassing that I have to relive that in order to apologize."

"It wasn't that bad," his roommate said, "There was a misunderstanding. If you want things to go back to normal, then tell her what happened and apologized."

Eli scoffed, "Yeah, because admitting that you like a girl who is already seeing someone else will make things better."

"Clare needs an explanation, regardless," Jeremy said.

The future doctor made his way back to his room.

"Just don't wait too long to talk to her," he said, "It's bad enough that a week has passed."

Eli pulled out his phone, ready to text someone.

"Oh and even if you do text Adam," Jeremy poked his head out of his room, "He'll tell you the same thing."

Eli ignored his comment and texted him anyway. After a few minutes, he got a text back from Adam.

_Talk to her. Now._

"Ugh," he banged his head on the table yet again.

"Told you so."

* * *

Clare lied down on Alli's bed as she watched her best friend clean her room. She was currently working on her closet, looking for clothes she didn't want anymore and putting them in a box for donation. She didn't seem to hesitate as clothes flew out of her closet and onto the box.

"Keep that up and you won't have anything left to wear," Clare said.

Alli turned around, "I barely wear these clothes, they're just taking up space."

A cell phone started to ring and Clare immediately got up to check if it was hers. Much to her disappointment, it was Alli's phone. It was a text message from Sav. Clare sighed and handed the brunette her phone.

"Sheesh, my brother isn't that much of a downer," Alli teased.

"Sorry," Clare apologized, "I just thought it was my phone. I thought it was…"

"Eli," the brunette stated.

Her best friend looked up and gave her a small smile. Alli took a seat next to her.

"Are you avoiding him?" she asked.

"No," Clare crossed her arms, "I am simply just waiting for him to call first because I certainly am not going to."

The brunette rolled her eyes, "With how stubborn you two are, you two will probably never talk to each other."

"Don't you have some donating to do?" she asked, her arms still crossed.

Alli just laughed and went back to her cleaning, "It was probably just a misunderstanding. Jeremy said he isn't sure why he was behaving like that."

"I wish Eli would just tell me what happened," Clare mumbled.

"So you can snap at him?" the brunette laughed.

She got up from the bed, "You heard his tone that night! He kept making stupid remarks about the girl in the movie apparently stringing along those guys. The way he made it sound, it sounded like he was attacking me for whatever reason!"

Alli held her clothes close to her, "No need to snap at me now."

Clare sat back down, "Sorry. I just want him to talk to me."

"I know you do," her best friend said, "But this is Eli we are talking about. He's stubborn and he's going to need a bit of a push to get him to start talking."

"You're right," Clare said, "If I don't hear from his in a couple of days then maybe I'll call him. Maybe."

* * *

**A/N: Again, I'm sorry for this filler chapter – I just wanted to put some distance between them. I'm also sorry that this chapter is so short. I was running out of things for all of them to talk about. I'll probably post the next chapter the day after tomorrow, that's usually my pattern. Your reviews are continuously appreciated!**


	7. There's Still Hope

**A/N: Ok, so here, about a week has passed since Eli and Clare last spoke. I don't know if I've mentioned that, but just in case I didn't, there you go.**

* * *

Eli looked out his phone and saw that he was ten minutes late in meeting Adam for lunch. He started to send him a text message when he saw that Adam had texted him first. He chuckled to himself when Adam's message said he was running late. Slowing down his pace, Eli walked to the restaurant. A familiar face caught his eye – it was the same guy that Clare was with at the coffee shop. This time he was with a different girl, a petite blonde. The girl smiled and leaned in to give him a kiss.

Eli's eyes widened, coffee shop guy was kissing a girl who wasn't Clare. Just then, Clare showed up. He watched with curiosity since he thought Clare would get mad at coffee shop guy. Eli felt bad, Clare was hurt once before and she didn't deserve to be hurt again. He thought of walking up to them, but was stopped as the scene unfolded before him – the two pulled away to greet Clare, who gave them both hugs. Confusion filled his mind as the three entered the building.

Alli snuck up behind Eli, "Hey."

He jumped at her greeting, "Alli! Sheesh."

"Sorry," she shrugged, "What are you doing here?"

"Oh, I'm just getting a bite to eat and waiting for Adam," he said, "How about you?"

"I'm meeting with Clare and Nick a few buildings down," she gestured.

"Nick?" he asked.

Alli nodded, "Clare's ex-boyfriend."

"Oh…" Eli briefly looked down.

"Yeah, it sounds odd but they ended in good terms," she explained, "He's engaged and we're meeting his fiancée today. We're helping with the wedding."

Eli suddenly felt horrible for overreacting during the dinner night… As if he needed to feel even more horrible. He really should have just spoken to Clare as soon as possible rather than avoiding her for so long. Alli said goodbye and made her way to her destination. He watched them go inside the restaurant and decided that there was something he needed to do that evening.

* * *

Clare had the apartment to herself for the evening, while Alli spent some time with Sav. She was in her pajamas, cooking dinner for herself when there was a knock on the door. Hesitating, she wiped her hands and made her way to the door. She was greeted by Eli, holding a plastic bag filled with ice cream.

"Hey," he gave her a small smile, "I brought you vanilla ice cream."

Clare smiled at the gesture, "Come on in."

He followed her into the kitchen, where he put the ice cream in the fridge. She offered him a plate, which he gently refused.

She set it down, "You're here anyway and I made enough for the both of us."

They sat down on the table and ate in silence. Every once in a while, Eli would hesitate and look up at Clare. If they ever made eye contact, they would immediately look away. He knew that he had to apologize but he didn't know how to phrase everything else. He let out a breath, which didn't go unnoticed by Clare.

Eli looked at her, "So… dinner…"

She let out an awkward laugh, "Yeah… dinner."

He kept silent for a few seconds, going back to his food.

Clare spoke up, "Eli… what happened that night?"

He kept his eyes down, "I overreacted to something silly. I'm sorry, Clare. I'm sorry for overreacting and I'm sorry it took me so long to apologize."

"I'm sorry too," she said, "I kind of just snapped at you that night."

"Don't worry about it," he chuckled, "I deserved it."

She bit her lip, "What were you overreacting to?"

Eli contemplated his answer, trying to figure out how to explain it to her, "A few days before the dinner, I saw you at the coffee shop with some guy."

"Ok," Clare said slowly.

"Well, when I saw you with him, I guess, uh, I guess I was, um, you know…" he struggled to finish the sentence.

She watched him with interest. Suddenly, it clicked.

"Were you jealous?" a huge smile formed on her lips.

"No!" he quickly answered, "I was just curious who that guy was that you were with."

"You were jealous," she let out a small laugh.

Eli continued to struggle with his words. Clare lightly laughed but took notice of the warm feeling she got as she thought of the possibility that he might like her back. Ever since they were reunited, she found herself falling for him again. She tried to brush it off because she thought he would never feel the same. However, as they sat eating dinner, Clare came to realize that maybe he did return those feelings.

"I'm glad you're enjoying this," he smirked.

She controlled her laughter, "Sorry."

"Alli told me that coffee shop guy was your ex-boyfriend," he continued, "Who's getting married."

Clare nodded, "Yeah, the wedding is in a month."

She suddenly came up with an idea, "Did you, maybe, want to go with me?"

"What?" Eli was caught off guard.

"To the wedding," she said, "Alli is probably going with Jeremy and I don't have a date yet."

"You're not going to use me to make him jealous are you?" he teased back, turning the tables on her.

Clare rolled her eyes, remembering an incident back in junior year – It had been over a year since her and K.C. broke up, but with the mess of her parents' divorce, Alli's transfer to another school, Fitz's constant bullying of Eli and Adam, the lack of communication between her and Darcy, Clare had a setback. She was convinced that she wasn't over K.C. and enlisted the help of Eli in trying to get him back. She constantly asked him to fake date her, but he refused. After weeks of convincing, Eli was finally able to crack her. He never let her live it down.

"No, I'm not going to pester you about being my fake boyfriend," Clare playfully narrowed her eyes at him.

Now it was Eli's turn to laugh, "You were ridiculous."

"It was a momentary lapse of judgment," she defended.

He just laughed further, "I'm never going to forget your attempt at flirting with me at The Dot when K.C. walked by."

She started to blush, "So are you coming with me or not?"

"Relax Edwards," his laughing subsided, "I'll go with you."

They couldn't contain their smiles.

* * *

**A/N: Good – yes? No? I seriously struggled with this chapter. Please review and let me know what you think. =)**


	8. Wedding Date Bliss

**A/N: So I got the idea of lilac when I bought nail polish a bit ago. Haha. Random fact for you all!  
* and Italics means flashbacks.  
Bold and Italics means a song.**

* * *

_Do I really have to wear a purple tie? =/_

Clare laughed at Eli's text. Since Emily's favorite flower was lilacs, the bride and groom were going with a purple theme for their wedding, so out of courtesy, all of the guests had to wear something purple.

_Would you rather wear a purple shirt?_

Eli quickly responded, _On second thought, this purple tie looks pretty good on me._

She rolled her eyes, _Of course it does =P_

Ever since the apology, she and Eli were better than ever. They were back to teasing each other, but they were also flirty. Alli and Jeremy noticed it, but didn't say anything. It was obvious to Clare and Eli too, but they never acknowledged it. They never directly said that they liked each other, but all signs pointed to it. Yet, they couldn't bring themselves to do anything about it.

Clare finished getting ready – she kept her makeup simple with only mascara and black eyeliner. Her empire waist dress was a baby blue color with a purple sash that fell above her knees. She wore silver heels, which was highly recommended by Alli. Her hair was curlier than normal to give it a more formal look. She stared at herself in the mirror. She grabbed her purse and walked over to Alli's room.

"You look amazing," Alli commented.

Clare smiled, "So do you."

Alli spun around, earning a chuckle from her best friend. She wore a gray strapless dress that went above her knees. She kept her hair down, but pinned one side with a small lilac hairpin. She wore black heels, which looked almost impossible to walk in. She put her cell phone in her purse and the pair walked out of their apartment and down stairs to meet up with the guys.

The ceremony went without a hitch. Emily looked beautiful in her white-laced wedding dress and Nick looked handsome in his traditional tux. Clare saw how happy Nick looked and she couldn't help but feel proud of him. She loved him in a different way and she couldn't contain her excitement as the two exchanged vows. Clare and Alli cried, while Jeremy and Eli tried to hide their smiles at the way their dates were reacting.

They were now at the reception, where everyone was on the dance floor. Alli and Jeremy were dancing with one another, while Clare and Eli took a seat. The moment the music started, Alli dragged everyone to the dance floor. They danced to a few songs, but Clare's heels were starting to kill her so she went back to the table. Eli kept her company.

"Clare!"

The pair turned around and saw Emily and Nick making their way to them. They got up and greeted them.

"Congratulations, Mrs. Weston," Clare hugged Emily.

"Thank you," she hugged back, "Thank you so much for helping out."

Eli gave Nick a handshake, "Congratulations. I'm Eli, by the way."

"Nick," he said, "Thanks."

Emily leaned in, "So that's Eli? He is cute."

The girls shared a laugh. They exchanged in small conversation – the girls discussed the wedding and reception, while the guys talked about their careers. After a few minutes, the newlyweds had to leave to talk to the other guests. Eli walked up to Clare.

"I think I just landed myself a deal with Weston and Sawyer," he said proudly.

"You did?" she asked, "Congratulations!"

Clare immediately wrapped him in a hug. Eli held on to her tightly and lightly lifted her off the ground. He put her down, but they held on to each other.

"Yeah," he explained, "Nick was telling me about his dad's company and I told him about the book I was writing. We're meeting in a few weeks to discuss it further."

"Eli, that's great," she smiled at him.

"How about we celebrate by going to the open bar?" he rose an eyebrow.

She laughed, "Just for you."

They made their way to the bar. Alli and Jeremy joined them.

"Getting a drink without us?" Alli pretended to be mad.

"We're celebrating Eli's possible book publishing," Clare told them.

Jeremy gave his roommate a slap on the back, "Dude, congrats."

"I think we should get two drinks," Alli said, "One for the wedding and one for Eli."

Clare simply shrugged and agreed. They took their drinks back to the table and had a mini toast to themselves. The four went back to the dance floor. One of Nick's baby cousins asked Clare to dance, which she couldn't refuse. She moved away from the group to dance with him. The song had barely ended and the little boy was getting tired. He put his arms up, asking Clare to pick him up. She carried him and walked over to Eli.

"Who's this little guy?" he smiled at the boy.

"Damien," the little boy answered.

"Did you have fun dancing with Clare?" he asked.

The little boy nodded, "She's pretty."

"That she is," Eli looked at Clare.

Clare tried to stop the blush that was forming, "Let's go find your mom."

Damien rested his head on her shoulder as she started to walk. Eli followed right beside her.

"I've already lost you to this handsome fellow," he motioned towards Damien, "I'm not losing you to another."

She rolled her eyes but smiled. After finding Damien's parents, the pair made their way back to Alli and Jeremy. Before they could make their way to them, a slow song came on. Eli stopped in his tracks and grabbed Clare's wrist, making her turn to him. She looked at him confused.

"Like I said," he smirked, "I already lost you to Damien."

Clare smiled at his gesture and wrapped her arms around his neck. Eli held her close by intertwining his fingers against the small of her back. They swayed to the music, which was "I'll Be" by Edwin McCain. They kept eye contact with each other and listened to the lyrics. The chorus seemed to strike a nerve with them.

_**I'll be your crying shoulder**_

_*Eli held on to Clare as she cried into his shoulder, murmuring, "It's official… my parents… they're… di – they're divorced."_

_She slept over that night, cuddling into him. Whenever he heard her sniffling, he only held her tighter.*_

**_I'll be love suicide_**

_*Adam held the camera steady, despite the intense need he had to roll his eyes._

_"Death come quickly, so I can be with her ASAP," Eli recited the lines of their English assignment.*_

_****_

I'll be better when I'm older

_*The pair watched as CeCe and Bullfrog flirted in the kitchen._

_"This is so embarrassing," Eli mumbled._

_"I think it's cute," Clare said, "I want what they have some day."*_

_**I'll be the greatest fan of your life**_

_*Eli looked at his now clean room and let out a breath._

_"I'm proud of you," Clare's arms snaked around his waist._

_He smiled – he was too.*_

As the rest of the song played, more memories from their past surfaced. Clare's grip on Eli tightened, which caused him to step closer to her. He looked at her lips then back at her eyes, as if asking for permission. She only tilted her head higher as an answer. He gave her a small smile as he leaned in. She could feel his breath on her lips as she closed her eyes. He closed his eyes when her lips pressed against his.

* * *

**A/N: Oooh, I didn't expect it to turn out like that but I'm happy with it. =) I hope you are too. Please review and let's see what happens in the next chapter! **


	9. In Your Arms

**A/N: Quick rant! It's only the first week of school and I'm already super tired. On top of that, I've got a lot of reading to do by next week.**

**On the bright side! Wow-o-wow, your reviews have simply been amazing! I don't know what to say.**

**There's a bit of a flashback in this (Italics).**

* * *

_"Did you want to stay over?" she asked._

_He seemed hesitant, "I don't want to push you –"_

_"You're not," she insisted, "Just… stay the night… keep me company."_

_His arms were still around her waist. She looked at him innocently, holding on to his blazer. He couldn't help but lean in and give her a kiss and led her to the bed. The smell of alcohol lingered in their breaths. They didn't drink much, but it was enough to make them feel buzzed during the reception. By the time they had reached the apartment, the feeling had worn off._

Clare felt herself slowly waking up from her sleep, but had no intention of getting out of bed anytime soon. She kept her eyes closed and felt rustling beside her. She turned to see Eli facing her, his mouth slightly open. She couldn't help but notice how cute he looked. He was wearing a black wife beater and his boxers, while she wore shorts and a tank top.

_Eli looked at Clare, who was sitting on the bed. He started to unbutton his black long sleeve, but stopped. He looked at the purple tie that was now on the floor before looking back at her._

_"Are you sure?" he asked for the fifth time._

_She giggled, "I'm just asking you to sleep next to me. Get comfortable."_

_She went to the bathroom to change. Once he was done, he pulled the covers out and got inside. Clare walked out of the bathroom and joined him. There was no denying Eli was nervous – sure nothing was going to happen, but he was still spending the night with her._

_"Eli?" she spoke softly._

_"Hmm?" he turned to face her._

_"I've missed you," she whispered._

_He let out a sigh, "I've missed you too."_

Not wanting to disturb him from his sleep, she discreetly got out of bed and made her way to the bathroom to freshen up. Once she was done, she went to the kitchen to cook breakfast. Alli had seen the pair kissing at the wedding and suggested she stay with Jeremy, who didn't seem to mind. The coffee continued to brew as Clare started cooking the eggs and bacon.

_Before an awkward silence could fill the void, Eli wrapped an arm around Clare. She snuggled in closer to him, breathing in his scent. He rested his chin on her hair, as his thumb stroked the small of her back._

_"How did I ever let you get away?" he said to himself._

_She barely heard what he said, "What?"_

_He moved around to look at her, "You looked beautiful tonight."_

_She smiled, "You looked pretty handsome yourself."_

_Clare wiggled up so she could give Eli a kiss. She kept it short and started to pull away, but his lips only followed her. She didn't seem to complain as her hand found the back of his neck and her fingers mixing with his hair. His hand moved from up from her waist to her back so he could have a better hold. They kissed for several minutes, neither of them wanting to stop. It was only until they needed to breathe did they finally let go of each other._

Clare gripped the kitchen counter as she remembered the details of last night. The song they slow danced to brought up so many memories. They didn't realize how much they had gone through back in high school until those lyrics made their way into their ears. She didn't know what was going to happen next – Were they going to talk about it? Were they just friends? Were they going to be a couple? Were they just going to pretend it never happened? There were so many thoughts going on in her head.

A cough interrupted her thoughts. She looked up and saw Eli standing there, with his clothes back on from last night. It took her a few seconds to say something.

"I made breakfast," she said, "If you wanted some."

"Actually, I've got to get going," he replied.

She felt her heart drop, "Oh."

He walked closer to the door, "Yeah, I've got a… busy day ahead of me…"

"Right," she tried to keep her voice calm, "Of course."

Clare turned around to pour herself a cup of coffee. She wasn't planning on drinking it but she just needed a distraction. Eli watched as her back faced him. He felt bad for saying that he had to go but he couldn't bring himself to stay. He knew he was acting like a complete jerk for just leaving but there was a reason for it – a reason that he wasn't ready to confront yet; not with the past he has had. He looked at her with sad eyes as she turned back around.

"I'll talk to you later, Clare," he opened the door.

"Bye Eli," she watched the door close.

* * *

**A/N: Oh wow, I just realized how short of a chapter this is. I'm sorry. In the next chapter, we will hear from Eli some more. Don't worry. =P  
As usual, reviews are always appreciated!**

Oh, and I made a tumblr! Haha, random fact but I just thought I'd mention. I posted it on my profile.


	10. At Square One

**A/N: Oh my gosh… I'm so glad that you liked the last chapter. Your reviews made my heart swell. Your constant compliments have been so encouraging that I only want to continue to improve each chapter!**

**Warning - This is another filler. Again, I apologize but I think it's necessary because it makes it more believable. Plus, you can see things unfolding.**

* * *

Eli stared blankly at his cell phone – 1 missed call, 1 voicemail, and 1 text message from Clare; all within two days after the wedding. He couldn't believe that he was avoiding her again. Just when things were back to normal, something had to change it. He grabbed his phone so he could see her name again.

_Hey. Did you get my voicemail? Please call me back._

He sighed and put the phone to his ear, listening to the voicemail for the third time that day.

_Hey Eli, it's Clare. Could you please call me back? You might be busy and I understand that, but I think we should still talk about what happened, although nothing really happened… Anyway, the day after the wedding, there was just something off. Maybe it's just me. Could you just, could you please just call me back? Maybe I'm over thinking this… All right, I'll talk to you later._

Adam hesitantly approached his best friend on the couch. They both stared at the cell phone for a small second.

"You should call her back," Adam said.

"I know," Eli replied, "I'm just… nervous."

"But you said nothing happened," the younger boy looked at him, "Right?"

He ran his hands through his black hair, "No, nothing happened. Yet, it feels like everything happened."

His best friend looked confused, "What?"

Eli tried to explain, "We were dancing to this song at the wedding that brought back all these memories. We kissed at the wedding and continued to kiss at her place."

Adam remained silent, hoping his best friend would continue.

"I like her, Adam," he said, "I like so much more now than I ever have and I didn't think that was possible."

"Why don't you tell her?" Adam asked. He couldn't understand how Eli couldn't tell Clare how he felt when it was clear that she felt the same way.

"Because I'm scared."

Eli had whispered those three words that Adam almost didn't catch it. Before he could ask further, the older boy continued to talk.

"Ever since Julia, I haven't been able to stay in a serious relationship," he said, "I always find a stupid reason to break up with them. I can't do that to Clare, she means too much to me. When we kissed… It was more than just a kiss, it was an understanding. When I held her in my arms that night, I never wanted to let go."

"What if I hurt her?" Eli's voice broke down.

Adam instantly felt sympathy for him. It really was hard for Eli to stay in a relationship, but he always thought it was because he was with the wrong girl. Clare fit the description of everything Eli was looking for and she knew how he worked since they were close friends. Adam wanted to find a solution for them.

"Eli," he started, "I know you haven't had the best of luck with relationships but you can't shut them down. What's life without a few risks?"

Adam continued, "Clare could be the best thing to come into your life and you can't just let her walk away. You're scared and that's understandable, every time people start a relationship it's always scary, but sometimes it's worth the jump."

"I can't hurt her," Eli whispered.

"You won't," he said, "You seem to like her a lot so you won't try to hurt her. Relationships won't be perfect but sometimes it's worth the fight."

His best friend sat in silence, thinking it over.

* * *

That same week…

Eli's hands shook as he started to dial Clare's number. Before he could press the green button, he shut his phone.

Clare didn't hear from him.

* * *

Second week…

He left her a voicemail.

_Hey Clare, it's Eli. I'm sorry it took me so long to call back, I was just caught up with some stuff. I got your voicemail and I agree, we should talk. Call me or text me back._

She left him a voicemail a few hours later.

_Thanks for calling me back. I'm free in the late afternoon this week and next. Let me know what works for you._

* * *

Third week…

She texted him.

_Hey. Did you still want to meet up? I'm sorry if I seem insistent, it's just that… it has been 3 weeks since we spoke. I'm starting to think you're avoiding me. Lol. Err, jk. Text me back?_

He started texting her back. He read the message to himself a few times before saving it to Drafts.

She never got the message.

* * *

Fourth week…

Clare left Eli a voicemail.

_Hey. I know I'm going to sound a bit paranoid and I kind of regret saying this, but are you avoiding me? I left you text messages and I've called, but I haven't heard from you. I know you and I are both busy, but this is a bit much. I want to talk and I feel like I'm the only one who wants to figure things out. I can't make you talk to me and if you don't want to, then I can't make you. I'll talk to you later if I'm lucky._

He listened to the message twice and resumed his work.

* * *

**A/N: Wow, ok, I'm not too proud of this chapter because it's a filler. Gah, fillers! Yeah… Next chapter will be better. Or at least I think it is. If it helps, the next one is NOT a filler. I actually wrote the next chapter before I wrote this one. Haha. **

**I know I keep making Eli flip flop a bit, but I can honestly see him take this route. I just thought I'd explain.**

**Review, please =)**


	11. Deja Vu, Much

**A/N: As always, thank you for the reviews! I don't have much to say, so...**

**Here you go!**

* * *

One month and one week later, Clare found herself sitting in a familiar table – the same table where she sat for the speed dating with Alli. Only this time, Alli wasn't with her. If she had it her way, she wouldn't even be there at all. The only reason she was there was to get Alli to leave her alone about moving on from Eli. They never really spoke after the wedding, as Clare figured. She tried to contact him, but he kept finding excuses or just never replied back. She gave up talking to him and when he finally tried to initiate a conversation, she never bothered to call him back.

She pretended to listen to the guy in front of her, nodding here and there. This was the fifth guy she had spoken to and all she wanted to do was rip her hair out. The bell rang and she tried to muster the nicest smile she could. As the guy left, Clare rolled her eyes.

"Not your cup of tea?" a female voice asked.

Clare turned to see Donna, the woman in charge of the speed dating.

"I'm sorry, I guess I just haven't found the right guy yet," Clare made an excuse.

"He'll come soon enough," the woman winked.

Clare gave her a small smile out of courtesy. Donna gave her a sympathetic look.

"I don't usually do this, but considering the state you're in, I'm going to change things up a bit," she said.

The younger girl looked at her curiously.

Donna continued, "There's this guy that has been eyeing you the whole night. I talked to him for a bit and he seems to be smitten by you, saying you're one of the most beautiful girls in this room."

"Oh," Clare let out a nervous laugh, "That's flattering."

"And if I do say so myself," the older woman leaned in, "He is definitely worth meeting."

"I'll take your word for it," she said, "Thank you."

Donna gave her another wink and walked away, probably "to change things up a bit," as she said. Clare turned around and wondered who this mystery guy was. She started to envision how he might look like and what their conversation would consist of. If it went well, she wouldn't be opposed to an actual date. She bit her lip to control her smile.

"Hey."

Clare looked up and her smile instantly disappeared.

"Oh, you've got to be kidding me!"

Eli awkwardly took a seat across from her as she glared at him the whole time. The pair looked over at Donna, who smiled widely at them. They had no choice but to smile back.

"What are you doing here?" she hissed.

"Alli told me you'd be here," he answered.

She let out a frustrated sigh, "I am going to give her a piece of my mind when I get home…"

"Clare," he spoke up, "Can we please talk?"

"Funny, that's what I wanted to do the day after the wedding," she snapped, "But you decided to avoid me like the plague."

"I'm sorry," he said sincerely, "I can explain myself."

She let out a sigh, "I let you explain yourself when I kept trying to contact you."

Eli pleaded, "I wasn't ready to face things yet. I know I acted like a jerk, but please… I'll explain myself this time."

Clare looked at the timer, "Too bad you only have a minute left to explain yourself."

The bell rang.

"Oh, too late," she shrugged.

Eli remained in his seat. They guy behind him had an annoyed look on his face. Clare just stared at him angrily.

"I'm not leaving until you give me a chance to explain," his tone was serious.

"Time's up, Eli," she pointed to the timer.

He remained in the seat and stared at her.

"Dude," the guy behind Eli said, "The bell rang. Get up and move."

Eli turned around to glare at him.

Clare watched the exchange. She didn't want to talk to him, but she didn't want an altercation to occur.

She started to feel uncomfortable, "You're making a scene."

He scoffed, "Like I care."

Clare looked around, trying not to look as worried as she felt. Eli leaned on to the table.

"Let me explain and once I do, you can do whatever you want with the information," he looked at her with sad eyes.

To avoid any other confrontation from the guy behind Eli, she let out a long sigh, "Fine. Lunch, tomorrow. If you don't show up, kiss your chances good bye."

He smiled, "I'll be there. Thank you."

"Mhmm," she unenthusiastically replied.

When the speed dating came to an end, Clare tried to leave as soon as she could. She successfully avoided Eli, who was lost in the crowd. She was close to the door but was stopped by Donna.

"So," she interrogated, "He was cute, right?"

The younger girl hesitated, "Yeah, I guess so."

"Did you snag a date?" Donna continued.

She thought it over, "Yeah, you could say that."

"Oh that's great," Donna cried, "You two are going to hit it off. I just know it."

"Oh, I'm sure," Clare laughed as she thought of the punch she would giving Eli when they met for lunch tomorrow.

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**A/N: Next chapter is the talk. I've got something planned for it and I can only hope I pull it off well =/ Heh. Review, please? Thank you!**


	12. An Unresolved Issue

**A/N: Haha, sorry for just kind of ending it abruptly in the last chapter. Maybe this one will make up for it?**

* * *

Clare sat at the restaurant where her and Eli last "people watched," but was at a different table. She checked her watch to see that she was early. She contemplated on whether or not Eli would show up but her question was answered when he saw his figure approaching.

"I'm surprised you actually showed up," she commented.

He gave her a shy smile, "I gave you my word."

The waiter came by and took their orders. Eli observed Clare's behavior – she seemed stiff and distant, which he couldn't blame her for.

"So, uh, how are you?" he asked.

"You saw me yesterday, nothing has changed," she replied.

An awkward silence followed. He wasn't sure if he should go straight into the conversation or ease it in.

Clare rolled her eyes and sighed, "How are you?"

"I'm good," he said quietly.

She crossed her arms, "So are you going to explain yourself or are we just going to sit here awkwardly?"

Eli rubbed the back of his neck, trying to figure out what to say. He tried to phrase things in his mind but nothing seemed to come out right. Clare was getting impatient but bit her tongue from saying anything.

"Ok," he sighed, "First off, I'm sorry I never called you back."

"You know," she said, "We could have met up and said that it never happened. That probably would have hurt less."

Eli instantly felt more guilt than before.

"Yeah, we could have," he said.

"So why did you avoid me?" she asked.

He hesitated, "I thought it was easier."

She scoffed, "Easier for you, I guess."

He was silent.

"I kept trying to call," Clare told him, "I felt a little pathetic."

"I'm sorry," Eli replied.

She looked at him, "You keep trying to apologize but you haven't given me a reason."

He knew she was looking at him, but he couldn't get himself to look back, "I was scared."

For a moment, Clare was confused by his answer, "Scared of what, exactly?"

Eli shrugged, "Of what would happen to us."

"We could have talked it out," she said.

"I know, but at the time, I thought I had messed everything up," he finally looked at her.

"You messed it up by not talking to me immediately after," she lightly smiled, "But you weren't the only one responsible for that night."

He continued to look at her, "I feel like I was."

"We just kissed," she explained, "It's not like we went any further."

"But we still did something most friends don't usually do," he countered, "We crossed a line."

"That doesn't mean it's the end of the world," she retorted, "I know we crossed a line, but we could have found a way to fix it if we had talked."

"I was just afraid that we wouldn't be able to," he looked down, "I guess I just jumped to conclusions."

"You do that a lot," she teased, getting him to smile.

Eli spoke up again, "So that night… when we kissed… what do you make of it?"

Clare was a bit taken back by the question, "Oh, well, I guess we were just caught up in the moment?"

She hated her answer but she recalled Eli saying he was scared about their friendship changing and the last thing she wanted was to lose him again.

He wasn't fully convinced, but he went along with it, "Yeah, I guess so. I mean, we did have a few drinks and it was a wedding and all…"

"Exactly," she agreed, "So I guess we're just going to put it in the past and hopefully move on from it?"

"Sounds good to me," he answered.

The rest of lunch went by fairly smoothly with a few awkward silences. The pair tried desperately to recover from their fallout but it was hard. They ate in a hurry only because they didn't want any more awkward silences. Eli offered to drive Clare home, which she cautiously accepted. The ride to her place was silent and it was starting to annoy them both.

As his car came to a halt in front of her apartment, Clare didn't get out. Eli looked at her with confusion.

"What's going on?" she asked.

"What do you mean?" he replied.

She turned to face him, "I mean, right now. I know we decided to put what happened behind us, but I feel like things are even more awkward than before."

"I guess there's more to the situation," he said quietly.

"More?"

Eli temporarily forgot that Clare could hear him. He sighed, things were awkward enough as it is so he might as well just say what was really on his mind.

"I don't want to forget about what happened that night," he told her.

She just stared at him. Deep down, she wanted to say, "Me too," but she waited to hear what he had to say.

"I don't want to forget about that night but I think it's better if I do," he continued.

She softly asked, "Why would it be better?"

"I don't want to hurt you," he explained, "I know I already have but I feel like I could hurt you more if something did happen between us."

"Eli…" she said.

He chose his words carefully, "When we kissed, there was more to it than just a random hook up. At least that's what I felt. It was like… years of how I felt were being poured into that kiss. I was feeling something I haven't felt in a long time and I wasn't ready to confront it."

She could her heart beating in her chest. She was trying so hard to control her breathing.

"Clare," he looked at her, keeping eye contact, "I'm falling in love with you and it scares the crap out of me."

* * *

**A/N: Cliffhanger! Does this sound realistic? I'm not sure if it does. But I kind of based it off of my friends… I don't know! Please review and help me stop doubting myself? Thanks =/**


	13. Take A Step

**A/N: Hm… Yeah… Oh, thank you for the reviews always! =)**

* * *

Clare sat in the passenger seat of Eli's car, silent. Eli looked at her, searching her eyes for anything. He suddenly felt like an idiot for saying how he felt. He mentally kicked himself for screwing up their friendship just as they were on the road to recovery.

"So how badly did I screw up?" he joked.

She didn't say anything. He wanted nothing more than to dig up a hole and hide in there for a few years. The silence was starting to get to him and he felt a slight headache coming on. It was starting to get hot in the car and his breathing was starting to shorten. The seconds felt like hours as he waited for an answer.

"I love you too."

Eli did a double take. Clare bit her lip after her confession – she couldn't believe that she had just said that. She knew how she felt about him – she always knew – but actually saying it out loud was something she didn't expect.

When she refused to look at him, he put his head down, trying to hide the smile that was forming. She felt the same way. After years of teasing, flirting, and wonder, he had found out that she felt the same way. At this point, Eli's smile had widened.

Yet, as fast as the smile appeared, it disappeared right after. What was going to happen now? Were they going to remain friends despite the startling confession? Or were they going to dive right in and start a relationship? What if they messed up and lose each other again? But what if they did have that clichéd happily ever after? All those thoughts popped into their minds.

"I don't know what to do," Eli admitted.

Clare couldn't help but giggle at his candor. She was also giggling because she was nervous since she wasn't sure what to do, either. They had both admitted to something so serious and they were both scared of what was going to happen next.

"Me too," she agreed.

He laughed lightly, "Well, at least you have been in a serious relationship so you know how it works. I can't even last two months."

She laughed, "That doesn't mean it gets any easier. Relationships are always scary when they're just starting off, but sometimes it's worth the risk."

"Adam said the same thing," he noticed.

"He's a smart guy," she pointed out.

They both smiled at the exchange.

"I don't think you know how much this scares me right now," he said, "A part of me wants to give this a shot but another part of me is holding back."

"I'd never force you to do anything you wouldn't want to do," she told him.

Eli asked, "We both know what's going on in my mind. What's going on in yours?"

Clare hesitated, "I can't keep wondering what could have happened between us if we were more than just friends. I know you're scared and I am too, but I also think we have a chance because we know each other so well."

"What if I hurt you?" he sounded scared.

"And what if I hurt you?" she countered, "It's a two way street."

He sighed, "Would I be asking too much if I wanted to take things slow."

She smiled, "We can take things as slow as you want."

Eli looked at Clare. She gave him an encouraging smile, which he returned. She contemplated leaving, but as her hand reached for the handle, she was stopped by another hand. She looked down to see that Eli had grabbed her free hand and entwined their fingers. Clare blushed at the gesture. Eli quickly glanced at her to see her reaction. When her other hand moved from the handle to her lap, he knew he was safe.

"Did you want to get ice cream?" he asked.

"Sure," she said quietly.

Throughout the car ride, they kept their hands together. Neither of them said anything but it didn't seem to bother them. As they walked to the ice cream parlor, they still held hands. Every time their hands touched, it felt like the first time. They only stopped when they were eating their ice cream, yet they couldn't wait to hold hands again.

Eli dug into his cup, "Adam is going to be excited about this. He said we've been dancing around each other for years."

Clare laughed, "I always loved how he explained things. He invented some crazy phrases."

They finished up their ice cream and walked around for a bit. Everything was back to normal and better than ever. The smiles never left their faces and the conversations flowed easily. Two hours later, Eli was back at Clare's apartment walking with her up the stairs. She was excited to get inside so she could tell Alli everything, but she also didn't want to leave his side. They reached her door and lingered for a moment.

"Today was interesting," Clare smiled widely.

"Yeah," Eli smirked.

She had her hand on the door knob, "I should probably get inside. Alli and I have a girls' night set up."

"She's going to hear about today, huh?" he lifted an eyebrow.

"Well…" she thought about it, "Yeah, she will."

He laughed, "Maybe she'll hear more… after we have our first date?"

Her eyes lit up, "Date?"

"I was thinking of going to my place and we could cook dinner together?" he shrugged.

Clare suddenly remembered two times where they had cooked dinner together – Once for CeCe and Bullfrog, who were celebrating their anniversary. Eli wanted to surprise them with a dinner, but was struggling so he ended up calling her. He had taken on more than he could handle so having Clare around was a big help. As she recalled, his parents loved the dinner but were even more touched by the gesture. The second time around was for her parents. It was a few years after the divorce and they were getting along with each other better. Clare offered to have a family dinner, but her nerves got the best of her so she called Eli for back up. The reunion turned out better than she expected.

"I'd like that," she answered him.

He seemed relieved, "How does Friday night sound?"

"Perfect," she replied.

Before opening the door, Clare leaned into Eli. He closed his eyes, also leaning in. He was surprised when he felt her lips on his cheek. He opened his eyes in confusion as she pulled away. She had a smirk on her face.

"You said you wanted to take things slow," she said innocently.

He smirked, "I think I'll make this one exception."

She giggled as his lips found hers.

* * *

**A/N: This is going to be the second to the last chapter. I've already got it figured out and I know what to do for the end. I just want to say thank you so much for your support! Please review and let me know what you think!**


	14. Some Familiar Faces

**A/N: So, I had planned on making this the last chapter but as I started writing it, I thought it would be better to split it up. Haha. I don't know… maybe it was a bad idea. Err, let me know!**

* * *

Ok, how about them?" Clare asked.

Eli watched as a group of four passed them by. The group consisted of three guys and one girl. They were currently sitting at the local coffee shop and watched as the people passed by, picking out random people as they created a story for them. They moved the seats so they could sit side by side.

"I think she is dating the blond guy," she started off.

"They've been together for almost a year and she's happy with him," he continued.

"But something is missing, which is why she is cheating on him with the guy to her left," she said.

Eli looked at her, "That's a sad thought."

Clare just rolled her eyes, "Well, look at her body language. She's leaning in to the blond guy, but she keeps glancing to the guy on the left."

"Ok," he nodded his head, "Then what about the other guy behind them?"

"I think he likes her but knows he can never have a chance," she looked at them.

"That's a bit tragic," he pointed out.

She just shrugged as the four of them kept walking. They then saw that the group was meeting up with two other people. The guy behind the four walked up to the other guy and hugged him. They released each other and held hands, walking with the rest of the guys.

Eli's eyes widened, "I guess guy number three wasn't interested in the girl at all."

Clare laughed.

A year and six months. It had been almost a year and six months since they had gotten together and they were still going strong. They had their disagreements, but their happiness outweighed it. Just like Eli asked, they took things slow. They went on several dates, trying to keep things casual. It took them about two months to make things official. They can still recall how their friends reacted – Alli squealed for joy, Adam yelled "Finally," and Jeremy smiled and gave them a nod of approval.

A lot more happened during that time. Jeremy and Alli were still going strong and she was happy that she had finally found a good guy. Adam and Fiona reunited a few months back and decided to give their relationship another chance. They even kept in touch with Nick and Emily, who were expecting their first child, since Eli had formed a partnership with Nick.

"What about them?" Eli nodded at their direction. It was a slightly older couple making their way to the bakery.

Clare followed his eyes, "They're thinking about their lives."

"Go on," he was curious.

"They have a son in college who is getting close to graduating," she said.

"I'm guessing they're proud of him," he tried to continue, "They're probably thinking about him."

She agreed, "They're probably going through his childhood, thinking of all things he did right and wrong, that got him to the point where he's at now."

They also moved the seats around so they could sit next to each other. Their backs faced them. Clare giggled.

"What's so funny?" Eli asked.

"They're positioned like us," she pointed to herself. He looked at her and noticed the parallel.

"I wonder what else we have in common…" he got up and made his way to the couple.

"Eli," her eyes widened, "Eli, what are you doing? We can't just go up to random people."

She grabbed her coffee and followed. He was only a few feet away from them. She had no idea what he was doing and was starting to get nervous.

"Hey," Eli said out loud. Clare looked at him with shock.

"About time you came over to say hi to us," the older man spoke.

Clare was in even more shock when the couple turned out to be CeCe and Bullfrog. She couldn't believe that she didn't recognize them before. CeCe got up and gave the girl a hug. She swayed her back and forth.

"Baby girl, you are still as gorgeous as ever!" she cooed.

"Thanks," Clare muffled, "It's so good to see you."

"You and Eli have been going out for a quite a while but I don't see you enough," CeCe continued, "That needs to change."

The younger girl only smiled and agreed – she missed Mama and Papa Goldsworthy as much as she missed her parents. She can still remember how they reacted when Eli told them that they were dating – CeCe practically threw a party, while Bullfrog asked Eli questions that left a permanent blush on Clare's cheeks the whole night. It was a different story when Clare told her parents – Randall accepted Eli like a son but still gave him the protective father talk, while Helen lectured Clare on being careful.

"So…?" Bullfrog asked Eli.

"I've got a plan," he answered.

Bullfrog observed him, "You really love her, don't you?"

Eli nodded, "So much. I just can't believe it took me so long to get her."

"Good things come to those who wait," his father said.

"Deep," he smirked.

Bullfrog laughed, "You know me."

They were interrupted when they saw their girls making their way to them. CeCe insisted that they have a late lunch together, which no one declined. CeCe waited for her dessert and made her way back to the group. They drove to his parents' house, with Eli following his dad's car. He seemed tense, which didn't go unnoticed by Clare.

"Are you ok?" she asked.

He jumped a bit, "Yeah, yeah, I'm fine."

Clare didn't believe him, but didn't push the subject further. The rest of the ride was silent, except for the radio playing. They reached the Goldsworthy household in a matter of minutes. CeCe immediately went to the kitchen with Clare right behind her, while Bullfrog and Eli went to the living room. Lunch didn't take too long to prepare as they positioned themselves on the kitchen table. Clare couldn't help but notice their behavior, though – CeCe kept glancing at the clock, Bullfrog constantly checked his phone, while Eli fidgeted in his seat.

"Baby boy," CeCe spoke up, "Why don't you and Clare walk around for a bit while your dad and I clean up?"

Eli looked at her, "Yeah, that sounds like a great idea."

The three of them looked at Clare, "Oh ok, sure."

They walked out of the house and Eli started walking. Clare caught up to him.

"Where are we going?" she asked.

He just smiled, "You'll see."

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**A/N: Yeah? No? Haha, the next one will be the last chapter. For sure, this time. Please review! Thank you, always =)**


	15. Make You Mine

**A/N: Last chapter =( I'm so sad. It's like my baby is all grown up now. Haha. **

**And what's with all this talk about a proposal? ::shakes head::**

* * *

Eli led Clare to his destination, one hand holding her while the other was in his jacket pocket. They walked a steady pace, taking their time. Clare was still confused as to where they were going, but trusted Eli enough to let him lead. She looked around, remembering the neighborhood and couldn't help but smile. This was a neighborhood she had grown so familiar with during high school and knew it almost as well as her own. She made a mental note to visit her own neighborhood before they left.

He stopped walking, causing her to stumble a bit. She looked around and her smile only got wider. It was a place that they held close their hearts and always managed to visit whenever they got home. She let go of his hand took a few steps ahead of him.

"The park," Clare turned to him.

Eli smirked, "Where else?"

She walked over to a tree and walked around it a few times. Finally, she stopped and saw her initials, as well as Eli's and Adam's. They had carved it in there after they finished their _Romeo and Juliet_ assignment. The memory was still fresh in her mind – before they left, Adam walked up to the tree and carved it first, as a "keepsake," with the other two following his lead. Clare looked at the bench, where she and Eli kissed. It meant nothing to them at the time, but it certainly made their friendship stronger. Eli walked up to his girlfriend and wrapped her in a hug, surveying the park.

"I've missed this place," she sighed.

"We certainly have had a lot of memories here," he rested his chin on her shoulder.

"Yeah," her eyes continued to look around.

"Do you remember when you caught Drew and Alli making out behind that tree?" he led her attention to the distance.

She laughed, "I was so mad at her for getting back with him and keeping it from me."

Eli remembered, "Adam had to hold you back from slapping Drew. He may not have been the most outstanding guy, but Adam didn't want to see him hurt."

"Speaking of Adam," Clare said, "Remember when we caught him and Fiona kissing behind that same tree almost a month later?"

"What is it with that tree?" he asked, "And why haven't we ever made out behind it?"

She slapped his arm, "Eli!"

He chuckled, "Fine fine. We'll make out in front of it."

"Eli," she groaned.

"Just kidding," he gave her a poke, "Sort of."

Clare narrowed her eyes at her boyfriend, but said nothing further.

He loosened his grip on her, but kept himself close. Her back was against his chest and she could feel his heartbeat, which was slightly faster than normal. Clare could sense that he was nervous, but she couldn't tell why. Eli moved his hand to his jacket pocket, while the other arm was wrapped across her chest. Her hands were gripped onto that arm.

"Oh, there have been so many memories here," she said to herself.

"I'm hoping we have more," he said in an almost question form.

"I don't see why not," she whispered.

"Then how about this one?" he asked.

"Which o –"

Clare stopped her sentence when Eli held up a white box in front of her. She could feel her heart stop for a second until it started up again, beating ten times faster. Her eyes widened in her mouth formed an 'o.' Eli was nervous as he released his other arm from her grip to open the box. As hard as he tried, he couldn't stop himself from shaking. He heard her gasp when the box opened. It was a white gold diamond ring that had a design on the side that made it look like a ribbon. He was still behind her so he couldn't see her reaction. From what he was observing, she was motionless. He took a deep breath, preparing for his next words.

"Will you marry me?"

She tried to form a coherent sentence, "Oh Eli…"

His mind started to race as he thought of her words. Was that a good thing? A bad thing? Should it have been more romantic? Should he have waited? Eli's arms started to falter, but before he could put them down, Clare grabbed them so she could look at the ring again. She took a few more breaths and answered.

"Yes."

It took a few seconds for the answer to register in his mind but once it did, he couldn't contain his smile. He was still shaking as he took the ring out of the box and placing it on Clare's left hand, which was also shaking. Eli admired how it looked on her, while she stared at it in awe. She turned around and immediately jumped into his arms. He was caught off guard but was able to hold on to her.

"Oh my gosh! I love you! I love you! I love you so much!" Clare was practically screaming.

Eli laughed, "I love you too, Clare. More than anything."

He put her down, but she continued to bounce around happily. She kept looking at the ring with a big smile on her face.

"How long have you been planning this? Did your parents know? How did you know my ring size? We have to tell my parents! Can we tell my parents?" she fired questions at him.

"Whoa, whoa," he put his hands up, "I've been planning on asking you for almost month. My parents knew about this, which is why we're here in the first place. Alli gave me your ring size. And yes, we will tell your parents."

"That's why she kept borrowing my rings," Clare remembered Alli's sudden fascination with her jewelry.

There were still so many questions in her mind but she pushed them aside because there was something she needed to do first – tell her parents. She grabbed Eli's hand and practically raced back to his place. He only laughed and let her lead the way. They got there in record time and Clare waited impatiently for him to open the door. After a few agonizing seconds, Eli finally got the door open.

They walked over to the kitchen and as Clare was about to make the announcement, she was once again speechless – her parents were standing next to the Goldsworthy's with smiles all on their faces. Her father was holding a bouquet of flowers, while her mom tried to contain her excitement.

"Sorry we're late," Helen spoke up, "But your father decided to stop and buy some flowers."

"You helped pick these out," Randall joked back.

"You knew?" Clare asked.

They both looked at Eli, who answered, "As if I was going to ask you without getting your parents' permission."

She let go of his hand and walked over to her parents who enveloped her in a hug. CeCe and Bullfrog walked over to their son and hugged him as well. They all exchanged in a few more hugs and 'Congratulations' and CeCe offered everyone dessert. The rest of the evening was spent in exchanging stories. The newly engaged couple had a certain glow to themselves that their parents continued to tease them about. They excused themselves from their parents as soon as they started talking about future grandchildren. They went to the backyard.

"A month of planning," she brought it up.

He lightly blushed, "I know we took things slow because I was scared, but deep down, I think I always knew that you were the one. I get to spend the rest of my life with my best friend and the one I love."

She smiled, "I certainly lucked out with you."

"I could say the same thing," he said.

Clare went up on her toes and gave Eli a kiss. She cupped his cheek with his left hand, letting him feel the ring press against his skin. He smiled against her lips and held her tighter. A few seconds later, they pulled away.

"So I'm guessing there's a lot to do," he smirked.

She giggled, "Oh you have no idea."

* * *

**A/N: Well, you're right! Eli does propose to Clare. =P **

**Honestly, I can't see myself continuing on because the only thing I can write about is the wedding, which would be all happy and whatnot. I can't write any more drama for them. Hah.  
**  
**Oh and would you look at that, I'm posting this the same day Degrassi comes back. Woo! Again, thank you so much for all of your support in this story. I doubted myself when I wrote this but your reviews were just heart-warming. Thank you! xoxo all around!**


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